There are times when we do know what God's purpose is; whether we will let the vision be turned into actual character depends upon us, not upon God. We need to learn to thank God for making known His demands. (from Oswald Chambers)
The vision that God sends us changes over time as well. It's not the same now that it was, say, thirty years ago. Those were the days of optimism and stamina. It seems now that that was sort of self-centered. As I look back though, I can see that the good Lord had everything in mind correctly and the blessings that have worked themselves into my life have been His alone to give. Nothing for me to get. Seeking first His Kingdom doesn't mean looking to set up a great place to live here on this old earth. Too many people are working too hard on that end of things and they never seem to see that it is all in vain. God's purpose and timing are set. We thrash around trying to change His immutability, but I suspect that at most, He's simply amused.
Isa 55:8, 9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."
Gosh, I wish folks could understand that, and enjoy the security it brings. It surely doesn't mean do nothing. But I'm sure it does mean work hard at that which the Lord God has set within you. How much fun it is to His Holy Hand clearing the path.
When Jeanie and I were taking folks to Israel, I sometimes thought, "What would it have been like to live in Bible times?" Read the paper, listen to the news. We ARE living in Bible times! More later.
2 comments:
Wow, how our dreams and "visions" change! 25 years ago, I was struggling through my degree at TCU and then at Southwestern Cemetery, ur, uh Seminary. Gonna change the world through television. Now, I am a programmer for the largest defense contractor in the world. Big difference. Is my mandate to share Christ any different? No. Is my method? Absolutely. While I do not understand the why of where my life took me or why God actually provided the means for me to attend college at a private school FREE only to not have me in full time ministry as I had thought I was going, I just keep on keepin' on and make the best of it. All this STUFF is truly in vain. Life is all too short to spend it stacking gold bars rather than enjoying people and our Lord. It also took me a while to figure that one out. But you and I both have been pretty blessed. Not bad for the grandsons of a sharecropper!
Re-reading my comment, there is one HUGE run-on sentence in there. No one ever said a computer programmer could also write, although I would like to think I lurned sumtn in skul.
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